Patent Application
20250041998
Various sanding tools exist for modifying (e.g., smoothing) surfaces such as walls, ceilings, decks, tables, etc. via abrasion. Abrading a surface causes abraded surface material to dissipate into the local environment (e.g., in the form of dust). Dissipation of the abraded material can be controlled utilizing mechanisms such as a vacuum to collect the abraded material as the sanding tool is used. Some sanding tools are configured to be coupled to a vacuum and may be referred to as vacuum sanders. Such sanding tools are often referred to as “dustless” sanders or “dust free” sanders even though a percentage of the dust created may still be dissipated into the local environment.
In various instances, a working material, which can be a sheet of abrasive (e.g., sandpaper, abrasive mesh, etc.), can be mounted onto a sanding tool. The sanding tool can be an electric/motorized sander (e.g., random orbit sander, belt sander, finishing sander, etc.) with the abrasive sheet being moved through the action of an electric motor to encourage abrasion of a surface. Motorized sanders have very specific applications including assisting in the abrasion of harder to abrade surfaces such as wood and/or metal. The motorized sanders are not always suited for abrasion of softer surfaces such as drywall compound, especially at interior corners (e.g., of adjacent walls or wall to ceiling). The motorized sanders can be relatively large compared to non-motorized (e.g., hand manipulated) sanders, and the motorized movement of the abrasive sheet can be too aggressive leaving the operator with little control over the amount of material being abraded away and ultimately being apt to remove too much material. Further, the abrasion of softer surfaces such as drywall compound can generate very fine dust, which unlike its more coarse counterpart generated from abrasion of harder surfaces can result in infiltration into and damage of the motorized components of the motorized sanders.
As an alternative to the electric/motorized sander, a sheet of abrasive can be mounted onto a hand sander. A hand sander can include a nonmotorized hand tool utilized to abrade a surface through the application of mechanical force generated by a human operator. Hand sanders do not include an electric motor that encourages abrasion of the surface and/or moves an abrasive sheet in relation to the surface. A hand sander can abrade a surface via an operator manually moving the abrasive sheet of the hand sander across and in contact with a surface while applying force.
Various types of sanding tools exist for abrading different surfaces. Many sanding tools, such as belt sanders, random orbit sanders, rotary sanders, etc. are motorized (e.g., electrically powered). While being effective for quickly removing large amounts of surface material, such motorized sanders often have a reduced ability of the operator to precisely control the movement of the tool and/or pressure applied to the working surface, which can lead to a reduced uniformity of the target surface.
Therefore, various non-motorized sanding tools can be more effective for certain applications such as drywall sanding (e.g., wall and/or ceiling sanding), for example. The use of non-motorized sanding tools can provide benefits such as allowing an operator to precisely adjust the force applied, the direction of an abrading action, the amount of material abraded away, and the uniformity of abrasion based on “feel.”
Some non-motorized hand sanding tools are attached to an elongate pole used to maneuver the tool, while others may include a handle (e.g., knob) located closer to the working surface. Some non-motorized sanding tools include a port (e.g., an air intake) for coupling to a vacuum, which can be used to create a more dust free operating environment.
However, previous non-motorized vacuum sanders have various drawbacks. For example, some prior sanders can have a higher than desirable center of gravity, which can lead to tipping of the tool resulting in damage to a working surface and/or “stutter” marks. In some instances, the high center of gravity can result from having to accommodate the vacuum attachment (e.g., hose). Previous non-motorized vacuum sanders can also be cumbersome to operate due to an inability to easily maneuver the vacuum hose while continuing to perform sanding operations, especially in and around inside corners.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide various benefits compared to prior approaches. Various embodiments include a non-motorized hand manipulated vacuum sander that can provide effective dust free operation at numerous locations, including inside corners (e.g., adjacent wall surfaces and/or wall/ceiling corners). As described further herein, various embodiments include a base plate having a central hub, and a vacuum attachment member having a first end configured for attachment to a vacuum source and a second end configured to rotate around the central hub. The upper surface of the base plate can include a raised lip extending around the central hub and serving as a handle for the sanding tool. The raised lip can be ovate, for example. The vacuum attachment member can extend laterally from the central hub, and the second end of vacuum attachment member can be annular and configured to rotate 360 degrees via hand manipulation of a user. The annular second end of the vacuum attachment member provides fluid communication between a lower surface of the base plate and the first end of the vacuum attachment member via a plurality of apertures formed through the base plate around an exterior of the central hub. In various embodiments, the annular second end of the vacuum attachment member has a lower surface located below an upper edge of the ovate raised lip. Accordingly, various embodiments can have a low center of gravity with a height of the tool being less than 3-4 inches and the laterally extending vacuum attachment member being less than 3 inches from the working surface (e.g., wall, floor, ceiling, table, etc.). Beneficially, the sanding tool can be operated with one hand of the user with the laterally extending vacuum attachment member being maneuverable (e.g., rotatable about the central hub) with one or more fingers of the user during sanding operations. Various embodiments are particularly better suited than motorized sanders for sanding vertical walls and/or ceilings since motorized components increase the center of gravity and provide increased weight, which can be much more physically taxing on the user, especially when sanding a soft material such as gypsum, for example. The reduced weight and center of gravity of embodiments of the invention allow the tool to be easily maneuverable on a surface even with the presence of the vacuum hose.
The vacuum attachment member 104 has a first end configured for attachment to a vacuum source and a second end 105 configured to rotate around the central hub 111 (e.g., 360 degrees). The vacuum attachment member 104 extends laterally from the central hub 111. As shown in
The tool 100 includes a cap 102 coupled to the central hub 111 and configured to secure the vacuum attachment member in place (e.g., to prevent movement of the vacuum attachment member 104 in a vertical direction). The cap 102 is configured to remain stationary during rotational movement of the vacuum attachment member 104 around the central hub 111. In various embodiments, and as shown in
In various embodiments, the base plate 110 includes a raised lip 108 extending around the central hub 111 and which serves as a handle for the sanding tool 100 during operation. The raised lip can be ovate, as shown in
The raised lip 108 can extend vertically from the upper surface of the base 110 by between 0.1 inches and about 0.4 inches; however, embodiments are not so limited. During operation, a user of the tool 100 can apply radial pressure outward to the interior edge of the raised lip 108. That is, user's fingers can be pushed against an interior of the lip to move the tool 100 in a desired direction while providing a desired amount of force to the working surface. During operation, a user can “grip” the tool by applying radial pressure inward to the exterior of the lip 108. The raised lip 108 can provide the ability for the user to manipulate the tool 100 while maneuvering (e.g., rotating) the attachment member 104 (and hose coupled thereto). For example, the relatively low tool profile allows the user to operate the tool 100 with one hand. For instance, the user's palm can be positioned over/on the cap 102, and the user can use the lip 108 as a handle while rotating the attachment member 104 with one or more fingers of the user's hand.
The sanding tool 100 can be configured for releasable attachment to a working material and one or more intermediate layers located between the base 110 and the working material (e.g., sanding sheet, sanding screen, sanding sponge, etc.). The intermediate layers can be formed of various different materials. In the example shown in
In the present disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration how a number of examples of the disclosure can be practiced. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice the examples of this disclosure, and it is to be understood that other examples can be used and that process, electrical, and/or structural changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
The figures herein follow a numbering convention in which the first digit corresponds to the drawing figure number and the remaining digits identify an element or component in the drawing. Elements shown in the various figures herein can be added, exchanged, and/or eliminated so as to provide a number of additional examples of the present disclosure. In addition, the proportion and the relative scale of the elements provided in the figures are intended to illustrate the examples of the present disclosure and should not be taken in a limiting sense. As used herein, the designator “N”, particularly with respect to reference numerals in the drawings, indicate that a number of the particular feature and/or component so designated can be included with a number of examples of the present disclosure. The designator “N” can refer to a same feature and/or component, or different features and/or components.
As used herein, “a” or “a number of” something can refer to one or more such things. For example, “a number of widgets” can refer to one or more widgets. Also, as used herein, “a plurality of” something can refer to more than one of such things.
The above specification, examples and data provide a description of the device, method, and use of the device and method of the present disclosure. Since many examples can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the system and method of the present disclosure, this specification merely sets forth some of the many possible embodiment configurations and implementations.
This application claims priority to provisional application No. 63/530,290, filed Aug. 2, 2023, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63530290 | Aug 2023 | US |
